Harness.



Patent-ed Aug-.'-8, I899.

H. R. MCDONALD.

H A R Ni 8 S (Application filed July 28, 1898.]

(No Modal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HALLOOK R. MCDONALD, OF RAVENNA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE It. BYERS, OF SAME PLACE.

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,394, dated August 8, 1899. Application filed July 28, 1898. $eria1 No. 687,065. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HALLOCK R. MCDON- ALD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ravenna, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in harness, and particularly to that class known as track-harness, the object being to provide means for hitching a horse to a vehicle by an arrangement in which few parts are employed, thus minimizing the weight carried by a horse that free action may be allowed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means whereby the pull of the horse may be equalized.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be herein after more fully set forth and specifically claimed. J

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one side of the harness applied to the shaft of a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the saddle-strap with one of the connections applied. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective oftwo plates adapted to embrace the lever. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the front hook.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the saddle,which may be of any ordinary construction, and formed with the saddle and depending therefrom is a strap 2, to which is fastened the connection 3 by means of the buckle 4c and a ring 5, to which are secured the strapsot and.-

6, extending forward and rearward, respectively, from the saddle. The forward strap is attached to a hook 7, which is fastened under the shaft, at the front end thereof, and the rearwardly-extending strap is fastened to a hook 9, formed on the leverlO, said lever being pivoted in a housing composed of the body 12 and platel3, each of which is pro vided with an aperture 1 1 to receive the pivotpin 15. The opposite or lower end of the lever is also provided with a hook 16, and to this lower hook is secured the end of the trace 5 5 17, which in turn is joined to the breast-strap or collar 18. From this construction it will be seen that any pull on the trace will exert a pull on the lower end of the lever, as well as on the strap 6, which being secured indi- 6o rectly to the saddle will through the trace, lever, and strap 6 equalize the pull between the breast-strap and the saddle with each forward step of the horse, and as the pressure against the breast-strap will be reduced freer respiration will be allowed, since the pull will be divided between the trace and the upper strap 6, as will be understood.

The construction and operation, as well as the advantages, will, it is thought, he appre- 7o ciated from the foregoing description, and it will be understood in view thereof that various changes in the proportions and other details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a device of the character described, ale- 8o ver pivotally connected to the shaft, hooked ends formed on the lover, a trace connected to one end of the lever, a connection between the opposite end of the lever and the connection suspended from the saddle, and a strap between the connection suspended from the saddle and the forward end of the shaft, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. HALLOOK R. MCDONALD.

. lVitnesses:

H. M. WRIGHT,

G.-R. PEROIVAL. 

